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Western Cape Regional Trends

Annual 2019

Contents

1. Methodology

2. Participation and sample size

3. Executive Summary

4. Western Cape Visitor Trends & Patterns

4.1 Origin of visitors

4.2 Age profile of visitors

4.3 Travel group size

4.4 Mode of transport

4.5 Main purpose of visit

4.6 Top activities undertaken in the Western Cape

4.7 Overnight vs. Day Visitors

4.8 Length of stay

4.9 Accommodation usage

4.10 Average daily spend

4.11 Top Information Sources

5. Trends and patterns by region

6. Performance of the Western Cape attractions

7. Benchmarking the Western Cape’s Hotel Sector

8. Acknowledgements

1. Methodology

• This report provides an overview of the tourism trends and patterns in the Western Cape. The findings will illustrate key visitor trends obtained from the regional visitor tracking survey.

• Responses to the regional visitor tracking surveys are used as a proxy to indicate the key trends within the Western Cape and the various regions. It is important to note that absolute figures

cannot be determined from these surveys, as the survey responses are a sample of the tourists into the respective tourism offices across the Western Cape, and would thus represent a

sample of the visitors. Therefore, where statistically relevant absolute numbers may be given, however, a share is provided to indicate the trend. This is based on international best practice in

the use of surveys within the tourism industry for determining key trends.

• Definition: Tourist: refers to any visitor travelling to a place other than that of his/her own environment for more than one night, but less than 12 months and for whom the main purpose of the

trip is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated for from within the place visited.

2. Participation and sample size

From January to December 2019, a total of 17,727 responses to the regional visitor tracking

survey were received from the respective Tourism Offices in the Western Cape. The

participating regions were:

Cape Garden Route 5156

Cape Karoo 836

Cape Overberg 1643

Cape Town 750

Weskus 6191

Winelands 3151

3. Executive Summary

• The Western Cape is now well established as a tourist destination. The province attracted

around 39.5% from the overseas market and 60.5% represented the domestic market.

• Germany (28.5%), the United Kingdom (21.3%) and Netherlands (7.0%) ranked as the top

three international source markets across the regions of the Western Cape. These markets

have proven to be the Western Cape’s mainstay markets even throughout the winter

months.

• Despite economic challenges, the Western Cape local market have remained resilient and

continued to travel within their province. In 2019, the Western Cape (56.4%) ranked as the

leading domestic market, driven by leisure as their top motivation for travel.

• Visitor trends indicated in this study confirmed the solid demand for holiday/leisure travel in

the Western Cape (80.7%), despite the winter months included in this review.

• Visitors who were recorded across the respective regions were primarily between the age

groups of 36-50 and 51-70 years, 21-35 years followed as the third largest share of

respondents.

• Travelling in groups of three (34.6%) ranked as the most prominent travel group, followed

by 22.4% who travelled in groups of four.

• In 2019, 53.4% of respondents indicated overnight stays in the province, while a share of

46.6% were day visitors. When taking a closer look at the trend in length in stay, visitors

stayed on average one, two and three nights.

• Guesthouses, self-catering, B&Bs and hotels ranked as the top accommodation choices

amongst travellers.

• According to the STR Global Hotel Performance, Cape Town (R1,165.54) and the Western

Cape (R1,046.72) as a whole achieved the highest revenue amongst all provinces and top

cities in 2019.

• Participating attractions in the Western Cape received 8 736 727 visitors over the period

January to December 2019. Visitor numbers show an overall decline of -4.6% over the

same period in 2018. Robben Island, one of the major attractions in Cape Town saw an

increase of 1.3% year-on-year, and the biggest increase across participating attractions in

the province was seen by Stony Point Nature Reserve (16,8%).

4. Western Cape Visitor Trends & Patterns

4.1 Origin of Visitors

Q4 2015

• The regional spread of visitors across the Western Cape reflected a share of 39.5% from the

overseas and 60.5% from the domestic market.

• The Western Cape is now well established as a tourist destination. According to the South African

Tourism national statistics, the Western Cape attracted around R1.7 million international tourists in

2018 and generated R16.3 billion in foreign spend. Regional trends in this report further indicated

that travel has spread across the regions of the Western Cape.

• Visitor trends in Jan – Dec 2019 reflected a steady flow from the top international markets; Germany

(28.5%), the United Kingdom (21.3%) and Netherlands (7.0%). These markets have proven to be the

Western Cape’s mainstay markets even throughout the winter months.

• Despite economic challenges, the Western Cape local market has remained resilient and continued

to travel within their province. In 2019, the Western Cape (56.4%) ranked as the leading domestic

market, driven by leisure as their top motivation for travel.

Domestic; 60,5%

Overseas; 39,5%

% SHARE OF OVERSEAS AND DOMESTIC VISITORS TO THE WESTERN CAPE, 2019

28,5%

21,3%

7,0% 6,1%

3,5% 3,1% 2,7% 2,6% 2,2% 1,9%

20,9%

% o

f V

isit

ors

TOP INTERNATIONAL SOURCE MARKETS TO THE WESTERN CAPE, 2019

56,4%

11,5%

5,5%

3,0%

2,4%

2,3%

2,0%

1,3%

0,6%

15,0%

Western Cape

Gauteng

Eastern Cape

KZN

Northern Cape

Mpumalanga

Free State

North West Province

Limpopo

Unspecified

% SHARE OF DOMESTIC SOURCE MARKETS TO THE WESTERN CAPE, 2019

4. Western Cape Trends and Patterns

4.2 Age Profile of Visitors

• The age groups 36-50 and 51-70 years emerged as the most common amongst visitors to the

Western Cape. 21-35 years followed as the third largest share of respondents.

• Travelling in groups of 3 (34.6%) ranked as the most prominent travel group, followed by 22.4%

who travelled in groups of 4.

• Own motor vehicles (49.9%) ranked as the top transport choice amongst visitors, followed by

rented cars (29.5%) and public transport (2.4%).

4.3 Travel Group Size 4.4 Mode of Transport

Other: Includes Shuttle service, Mini bus taxi, Metered taxi, Long

distance bus, Motorbike, Train

70; 2,9%

Unspecified; 22,1%

70 Unspecified

2,4%

15,6%

34,6%

22,4%

2,9%

22,1%

One

Pairs

Groups of 3

Groups of 4

Groups of 5+

Unspecified

Own motor vehicle; 49,9%

Rented Car; 29,5%

Public transport; 2,4%

Tour bus; 2,0%

Other; 3,3% Unspecified; 12,9%

4. Western Cape Trends and Patterns

4.5 Main purpose of visit

• Holiday/leisure (80.7%) led as the top reason for travel to the province, followed by

business travel (3.8%), Events/festivals (3.1%), Visiting Friends/Relatives (2.8%), and

Sport (2.8%).

• While the share of business travellers tracked during this study accounted for only 3.8%,

national trends released by South African Tourism confirms the equally growing demand

for business amongst overseas and domestic markets to the Western Cape.

*Other: Includes travel for Seasonal/migrant work, Honeymoon/Weddings,

Religion, Medical/health (spa, surgery, wellness).

4.6 Top activities undertaken in the Western Cape

*Other: Includes Birding, Cruises, Business, Whale watching, Shopping, Events, Golf, Shark cage diving, Fishing,

Karoo Lamb (Cape Karoo Farms), Game Reserves, Health & wellness, Expos/exhibitions, Sporting events-

participator, Cycling, Ostriches, Nighlife/clubbing, Astro Tourism, Sporting events-spectator, Gambling

• Scenic drives (21.9%), culture/heritage (19.5%) and outdoor activities (14.0%)

ranked as the top three activities enjoyed by visitors to the Western Cape.

• The Western Cape government together with Wesgro have been mandated to

develop key strategies for identifying niche markets. Plans are well advanced for

establishing the Cape as the Cycling capital of Africa. Culture/heritage have recently

also emerged as a priority niche tourism market for the province, with the launch of

the Cradle of Human Culture Route with three anchor sites in the Western Cape.

• Additional plans also include growing Madiba Legacy Tourism, by establishing a

Madiba Legacy Route and promoting the region as a Global Food and Wine

destination. These niche tourism areas holds strong potential for growth and

sustainable tourism for the Western Cape.

Leisure/Holiday; 80,7%

Business; 3,8%

Events/festivals; 3,1%

Sport; 2,8%VFR; 2,8%

Education; 2,5% Other; 1,4% Unspecified; 2,9%

21,9%19,5%

14,0% 13,4%

9,2%

6,1% 5,9% 5,9%3,8% 3,3%

22,9%

4. Western Cape Trends and Patterns

4.7 Overnight vs. Day Visitors

• Between January and December 2019, 53.4% of respondents indicated overnight stays in

the province, while a share of 46.6% were day visitors. When taking a closer look at the

trend in length in stay, visitors stayed on average one, two and three nights.

• This trend underlines the Western Cape’s popularity in weekend getaways, as well as

extended leisure holidays for up to a week and more (7.7%).

• Self-catering, Guesthouses, B&Bs and Hotels ranked as the top accommodation choices

amongst travellers. Of the respondents who indicated overnight stays, a share of 20.8% did

not indicate their type of accommodation in the survey.

4.8 Average length of stay

4.9 Accommodation Usage

*Other: Includes backpackers, rented house/apartment/Air BnB, timeshare,

second home/holiday house and golf estate.

Day Visitor; 46,6%

Overnight visitor; 53,4%

30,0%

32,2%

14,9%

7,3%

6,0%

7,7%

1,8%

One night

Two nights

Three nights

Four nights

5 - 6 nights

7+ nights

Unspecified

Self Catering; 25,9%

Guesthouse; 21,1%

B&B; 12,5%

Hotel; 8,8%Friends/relatives;

4,1%

Camping; 2,7%

Other; 4,0%

Unspecified; 20,8%

4. Western Cape Trends and Patterns

• On average, visitors spent between R201-R500 (17.8%) per day in the Western Cape. R501-

R1000 (16.5%) followed as the second most common expenditure range, and 15.8% spent less

than R200 per day. 35.8% of respondents did not indicate their average daily spend in the

Western Cape.

• The share included in this study only represents a participative sample of travellers who entered

through the tourism offices. However, national trends indicate that tourism is a very important

sector for the Western Cape with huge growth and economic potential. In 2018, foreign tourist

arrivals to the Western Cape translated into a total foreign spend of R16.3 billion, while the

domestic market added an additional R1.9 billion to the economy.

• Word of mouth (30.2%) and internet/websites (17.8%) ranked as the top sources for obtaining

information on the province. 9.3% of respondents were return visitors, a trend which indicates

success in the Western Cape’s marketing efforts.

4.10 Average daily spend

4.11 Top Information Sources

*Other: Includes TV/Radio, books/magazines, and newspapers.

15,8%

17,8%

16,5%

10,6%

3,5%

35,8%

0-R200

R201-R500

R501-R1000

R1001-R2000

More than R2000

Unspecified

30,2%

17,8%

10,4%9,3%

4,5% 3,8% 3,1% 2,9%

18,2%

0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

25,0%

30,0%

35,0%

Word of mouth Internet/websites Visitor InformationCentres

Return visit Travel Agent/touroperator

Social Media Brochures Other Unspecified

% V

isit

ors

5. Trends and patterns by region

Notes: Blank cells indicate that the sample was not big enough for a valid statistical interpretation.

OVERVIEW OF REGIONAL VISITOR TRENDS AND PATTERNS BY REGION, JAN – DEC 2019

TOURISM INDICATOR Cape TownCape Garden Route & Klein

KarooCape Winelands Weskus Cape Karoo Cape Overberg

% Share overseas - 48.4% 42.9% 22.7% 7.5% 58.9%

% Share domestic - 51.6% 57.1% 77.3% 92.5% 41.1%

% Share of overnight visitors 96.0% 78.6% 19.4% 38.3% 34.4% 80.6%

% Share of day visitors 4.0% 21.4% 80.6% 61.7% 65.6% 19.4%

Top international markets

Germany (16.2%) Germany (32.1%) Germany (33.0%) Germany (23.2%) UK (23.8%) UK (33.0%)

UK (11.7%) UK (17.8%) UK (25.2%) UK (20.5%) Germany (12.7%) Germany (30.7%)

France (8.5%) Netherlands (8.4%) Netherlands (7.5%) Netherlands (7.2%) France (11.1%) France (5.0%)

Top domestic markets

Western Cape (39.6%) Western Cape (31.4%) Western Cape (49.2%) Western Cape (73.3%) Western Cape (41.1%) Western Cape (73.1%)

Gauteng (31.3%) Eastern Cape (14.8%) Gauteng (6.9%) Gauteng (11.7%) Gauteng (23.2%) Gauteng (10.5%)

Limpopo (4.2%) Gauteng (10.7%) KZN (1.7%) Mpumalanga (3.4%) Free State (7.0%) KZN (6.4%)

Main purpose of visitHoliday/Leisure (86.8%) Holiday/Leisure (74.1%) Holiday/Leisure (91.1%) Holiday/Leisure (80.2%) Holiday/Leisure (77.2%) Holiday/Leisure (82.7%)

Business (4.1%) Sport (8.6%) Education & Business (3.4%) Business (11.5%)Education (3.0%) VFR (6.8%)

Age profile of visitors - - 36 – 50 (45.5%) 36 – 50 (42.4%) 51 – 70 (33.5%) 36 – 50 (30.2%)

Most common travel group size- - Groups of 3 (45.5%) Groups of 3 (42.4%) Groups of 4 (33.5%) Groups of 3 (30.2%)

- - Groups of 4 (34.7%) Groups of 4 (26.2%) Groups of 3 (32.8%) Groups of 4 (22.5%)

Most common length of stay7+ nights (33.6%) 2 nights (36.8%) 2 nights (50.0%) 2 nights (31.6%) 2 nights (34.4%) 1 night (57.2%)

5 – 6 nights (23.9%) 1 night (34.6%) 3 nights (17.8%) 3 nights (23.7%) 1 night (41.3%) 2 nights (21.2%)

Most common mode of transport

Public transport (21.5%)Own vehicle (41.8%) Own vehicle (57.6%) Own vehicle (55.9%) Own vehicle (80.9%) Rented Car (48.1%)

Rented Car (20.8%)

Rented Car (37.0%) Rented Car (37.7%) Rented Car (17.9%) Rented Car (9.9%) Own vehicle (41.4%)Tour bus (16.4%)

Top information sources- Internet (28.6%) Word of mouth (65.1%) VIC’s (22.5%) Word of mouth (47.6%) Word of mouth (50.2%)

- Word of mouth (14.4%) Internet (17.9%) Word of mouth (18.5%) VIC’s (15.9%) Return visit (14.9%)

Average daily spend - - R0 – R200 (25.9%) - R0 – R200 (42.5%) R501 – R1000 (35.6%)

Type of accommodation -Self Catering (27.1%) Guesthouse (29.7%) Self Catering (37.4%) B&B (21.9%) -

Guesthouse (25.6%) Self Catering (19.6%) Guesthouse (24.5%) Guesthouse (18.8%) -

Top three activities undertaken

Outdoor Activities (52.4%) Scenic drives (19.8%) Culture/Heritage (27.5%) Scenic drives (24.4%) Culture/Heritage (59.0%) Scenic drives (40.2%)

Scenic drives (29.6%) Culture/Heritage (14.6%) Wine tasting (19.9%) Culture/Heritage (16.5%) Crafts/food markets (25.9%) Cuisine (31.9%)

Culture/heritage (17.5%) Outdoor Activities (13.2%) Cuisine (15.9%) Cuisine (15.3%) Karoo Lamb (19.3%)Outdoor Activities

(26.3%)

6. Performance of Western Cape Attractions

TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS BY PARTICIPATING REGIONAL ATTRACTION, 2019

ATTRACTIONS 2018 2019 18/19 % Change

Cape Town

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens 933 473 921 421 -1,3%

Robben Island 311 847 315 821 1,3%

Table Mountain National Park 3 340 986 3 164 464 -5,3%

Table Mountain National Park: Boulders 892 923 820 351 -8,1%

Table Mountain National Park: Cape of Good Hope 1 154 063 1 135 894 -1,6%

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway 1 162 313 1 099 615 -5,4%

Cape Overberg

Cape Agulhas Lighthouse 33 645 34 562 2.7%

Agulhas National Park 38 842 40 550 4,4%

Bontebok National Park 21 484 22 466 4,6%

De Hoop Nature Reserve 24 861 21 751 -12,5%

De Mond Nature Reserve 8 266 7 170 -13,3%

Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens 60 423 43 394 -28,2%

Kogelberg Nature Reserve 10 688 6 858 -35,8%

Stony Point 73 369 85694 16,8%

Garden Route & Klein Karoo

Cango Caves 252 330 237 129 -6,0%

Wilderness National Park 128 519 166 764 3,3%

Tsitsikamma National Park 365 599 345 098 -5,6%

Weskus

West Coast National Park 292 423 263 446 -9,9%

!Khwattu 18 584 19 022 2,4%

Old Jail 8 012 6 662 -16,8%

Cape Karoo

Karoo National Park 34 554 31 426 -9,1%

6. Performance of Western Cape Attractions

• The participating Western Cape Attractions received 8 736 727 visitors over the period January to December 2019.

• Visitor numbers show an overall decline of -4.6% over the same period in 2018. Visitor numbers were considerably higher in June 2019 with a 17.5% increase when compared to

June 2018.

• Over the Jan – Dec 2019 period, December, October, and January saw the highest recorded visitor numbers, which coincides with Cape Town’s high season period.

1008196

889048

849658

729619

510928

400572

529216

650751

720534

921440

884031

1067327

905969

784931820986

727643

519629470677

400470

640091

752742

908236

842582

962771

J AN F EB MAR APR MAY JUN JU L AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

T O T A L N U M B E R O F V I S I T O R S T O T H E W E S T E R N C A P E A T T R A C T I O N S , 2 0 1 9

2018 2019

7. Benchmarking Cape Town’s Hotel Sector

• STR Global Hotel Performance in 2019 reflected an upward trend in

occupancy levels when compared to 2018. By category, the highest

percent change (+4,8%) occurred in the Cape Town 5 Stars category.

• On a provincial and city level, Cape Town (1,165.54) and the Western

Cape (R1,046.72) as a whole achieved the highest revenue amongst all

provinces and top cities in 2019.

• By region, a positive year-on-year growth was recorded in the average

daily rate (ADR) achieved across all regions depicted below, with the

highest (+3.8%) ADR recorded in the Winelands region.

AVERAGE REVPAR BY PROVINCE, 2019 AVERAGE REVPAR BY CITY, 2019

South Africa R787,28 Port Elizabeth R615,38

Northern Cape R455,20 Durban R641,09

Eastern Cape R623,79 Cape Town R1,165.54

Limpopo R525,83 East Rand R639,06

Free State R553,54 Pretoria & Surrounds R527,71

KwaZulu Natal R711,41 Sandton R803,75

Mpumalanga R603,73 Johannesburg R547,56

Western Cape R1,046,72

Gauteng R673,66

Year to Date: January-December 2019 vs January-December 2018

Region/City

Occ % ADR RevPAR Percent Change from YTD 2018

2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 Occ ADR RevPAR

Western Cape 64,1 63,7 1 632,21 1 599,63 1 046,72 1 019,38 0,6 2,0 2,7

Cape Town 65,3 64,1 1 784,43 1 751,97 1 165,54 1 123,33 1,9 1,9 3,8

Cape Town 5 Stars 68,0 64,9 3 242,96 3 181,22 2 206,35 2 065,17 4,8 1,9 6,8

Cape Town 4 Stars 64,7 63,6 1 393,25 1 369,54 901,56 871,40 1,7 1,7 3,5

Cape Town 3 Stars 65,5 66,6 1 032,71 1 014,38 676,61 675,85 -1,7 1,8 0,1

Northern Cape Town 68,1 70,4 1 023,79 1 003,38 697,40 706,18 -3,2 2,0 -1,2

Winelands 57,0 58,6 1 624,75 1 565,28 925,48 916,67 -2,7 3,8 1,0

Garden Route 55,2 56,3 1 285,80 1 275,48 710,16 717,54 -1,8 0,8 -1,0

Notes: STR Global Hotel data provides a high-level overview of occupancy (OCC), average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) for key geographical areas within SA.

Source: STR Global, 2020

8. Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements and many thanks go to the following for supplying the data which made this publication possible and whose continued and unwavering support will sustain the forthcoming issues.

The participating local tourism offices in the following regions:

Cape Garden Route & Klein Karoo

Cape Karoo

Cape Overberg

Cape Town

Weskus

Cape Winelands

The participating attractions in Cape Town and the Western Cape:

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

Robben Island

Table Mountain National Park: Boulders

Table Mountain National Park: Cape of Good Hope

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

Cape Agulhas Lighthouse

Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens

Kogelberg Nature Reserve

De Hoop Nature Reserve

De Mond Nature Reserve

Stony Point

Cango Caves

!Khwattu

Old Jail

The following South African National Parks in the Western Cape:

Agulhas National Park

Bontebok National Park

Karoo National Park

Table Mountain National Park

Tsitsikamma National Park

West Coast National Park

Wilderness National Park

Wesgro has taken every effort to ensure that the information in this publication is accurate. We provide said information without representation or warranty whatsoever, whether expressed or implied. It is the

responsibility of users of this publication to satisfy themselves of the accuracy of information contained herein. Wesgro cannot be held responsible for the contents of the publication in any way.

© Wesgro, 2020.